Narrator Since the nineteen fifties
thousands of South Asian leaders have seized the opportunity to further their
knowledge at Australian universities through prestigious Australia Awards
scholarships their new knowledge and skills are
improving countless lives in their home countries
Wasanta "Let not even a drop of rain go to the sea
without benefiting people" -- King Parakrama Bahu (1153--1186 AD).
Wasanta We know that in ancient times the kings of
Sri Lanka constructed a large, cascading irrigation system with thousands of tanks connected by
canals, across the dry zone. In these tanks there was always a certain
amount of water that could not be used. During the dry season, that water recharged the wells
and provided water for the animals and people's daily use.
This is the best system we have as it is in-tune with our environment.
Narrator Sri Lanka's 2000-year old irrigation system
of more than 14,000 interconnected village tanks and canals was so well conceived that
for centuries people continued to use it. But, modern times have washed away ancient
wisdom. Wasanta is among the hundreds of Sri Lankans
who have been awarded a prestigious Australia Awards scholarship.
He says the scholarship gave him a lot. With no specialised subjects in groundwater technology
offered at Sri Lankan universities, the Australia Awards scholarship allowed Wasanta to study
groundwater technology at Flinders University; and today he is one of the country's few
experts in the field. Wasanta
One thing we have noticed is that there is an optimum water level, which we need to maintain
in the tanks all year round, the level that the environment needs.
Wasanta But, because our tank system had fallen into
disrepair, that level was filled with silt in many, many places.
Narrator In 2008, when Wasanta returned from Australia
to his hometown in Sri Lanka's dry zone, despite above average rainfalls during the
wet seasons, water levels during the dry seasons were desperately low.
Deep in the jungle, in remote villages like Ellapotana, farmers now only had enough water
to cultivate annually.
Nalaka I have 2 and a ½ acres but I couldn't make
enough money.
Nalaka I left my village in 2009 and I've been
away for four years. I worked as a security guard and as a labourer on construction sites.
Narrator With only three days off every quarter, Nalaka
often had no time to make the two-day return trip home. He desperately missed his family
but he had to continue working in the city.
Wasanta I was able to influence a change in the policy
within the irrigation department for excavating the silt and maintaining a certain level of
water at all times.
Wasanta Now in many tanks where we have worked, water
is retained. Wasanta
And, this methodology is now used by everyone working on the irrigation system.
Narrator Under Wasanta's leadership, the irrigation
department in the dry zone became mindful of both surface water and what flows beneath.
Today, hundreds of tanks across the zone have been revitalized and are recharging this vital
underground resource. Wasanta hopes that better ground water management
will also help stem the sharp increase of kidney disease in this part of the country.
The cause is unclear, but now, for the first time, groundwater is being regularly monitored.
All of this trailblazing work has helped thousand of farming families, like those in Ellapontana,
to improve their lives.
Wasanta In the Ella Pathana project, we desilted tanks
and built an anicut across a stream.
Wasanta The water that we channel from this stream
fills five of the deslited tanks. Narrator
Downstream in Ellapotana, Wijitha says they are now able to cultivate two seasons instead
of one and he hopes this means he can break the cycle of borrowing cash to sow his paddy.
Wijitha We have hope for the future because if we
are only using our own money, we have nothing to lose. Before we used to pawn our possessions
or give the deeds to our land as a guarantee for a loan. If the harvest was bad we could
lose everything. Now we have nothing to lose. Now we have a big, bright, hopeful future.
Nalaka With the anicut, I expect to be able to earn
more money and I won't have to return to Colombo.
Nalaka I feel a sense of freedom. I can spend time
with my children and family, rather than working for someone else.
Wasanta The education that I received was through
public funds. Because I got so much from others, I feel
compelled to give back. I am doing that.
And I see the success in doing that. And it really makes me happy.
Narrator Hundreds of Australia Awards Alumnus like
Wasanta are using the knowledge and connections they gained in Australia to make a difference
back home. And, now, with water management in the dry zone following the beat of a different
drum, thousands of farming families have been able to improve their lives. [A1]
[A1]Check that this is correct in the final video version.